Hunting knife



June 1944- J. B. F. CHAMPLIN ET AL 2,350,494

HUNTING KNIFE I Filed April 6, 1945 grwowlo'b .ioluzflFClzamplin Tllod 18H. 0

Patented June 6, 1944 HUNTING KNIFE John B. F. Champlin and Theodore H. Banton, Little Valley, N. Y., assignors to Cattaraugus ittle Valley, N. Y., a corpo- CutleryCompany, L ration of New York Application April 6, 1943, Serial No. 482,044

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved hunting knife and more particularly to a novel handle therefor.

As in most devices of this character, the knife comprises, besides other parts, a blade and a tang, but heretofore, difficulty has beenexperie" enced in solidly maintaining the Washers, which latter form the body or grip of the handle, permanently on the tang.

It is therefore an object of the present inven- In carrying the invention into effect,we employ a blade Ill which is provided with a tang II and, as seen in Figures 4 and 7 of the drawing, said tang is rectangular in'cr oss section. Near its outer end, the tang is notchedfrom opposite edges thereof to form a shouldered neck 12 which is, as seen in Figure 5, as compared with the tang, much more nearly square in cross tion to permanently lock the several parts of the handle in solid assembled relation so that, in the use of the knife, friction of the hand on the grip may not loosen the Washers nor may the handle come apart when emergency of use may demand that it be reliably firm and unyielding.

A further object of the invention isto provide near the outer end of the tang, a stop plate so attached to the tang as to rigidly sustain any end thrust and whereindocking plates will be provided at opposite sides of the stop plate for rigidly securing the stop plate in position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle wherein the assembly comprising the stop plate and the locking plates at opposite sides thereof will provide a more or less heavy knob at the outer end of the handle adapted, when the handle is grasped in the hand, to form a stop at the outer edge of the palm, and wherein said knob, by reason of its weight, will also afford balance to the blade.

The invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a construction wherein the permanency and rigidity of the knob assembly will not be afiected by climatic conditions, perspiration of the hand or possible swelling of the washers.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear as the description thereof proceeds and in the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hunting knife embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the knife.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse section showing the inner locking plate.

Figure 5 is a transverse section showing the stop plate.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an end view of the knob assembly.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section showing a slight variation.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section showing another slight variation.

section.

Slipped over the tang II to abut the'blade i0 is a guard I 3 which is preferably of metal, and also slipped over the tang are a number of washers M which are preferably of leather, although other suitable material may be employed. As seen in Figures 1 and2 of the drawing, the washers M are graduated in peripheral size to provide a grip IS, the exact contour of which may, of course, be varied. 1

Abutting the rearmost of the washers I4 is a locking plate l6 lying flat against which latter is a stop plate l1, and abutting flat against the stop plate is another terminal locking plate l8. The preferable shape, which is ovate, of the plates l6, l1 and I8 is best seen in Figures 4, 5 and 7 of the drawing and these three plates cooperate to form a weighted knob l9 at the rear end of the handle of the knife affording balance to the blade. Preferably, the plates are of metal and, if so desired, the plate l8 may be thicker than the others. Also, preferably, the outer face of the plate l8 as well as the end face of the tang H is knurled to afford a knurled end face for the knob l9.

Attention is now directed to the fact that, as best seen in Figure 5, the stop plate I 1 is provided with a transverse slot 20 adapted to receive the outer end of the tang I This plate is also provided with an intersecting longitudinal slot 2| adapted to fit the neck I 2 of the tang while diagonally opposite corners of the intersecting slots are cutaway to provide curved clearance surfaces 22. Thus, the stop plate may be initially slipped over the outer end of the tang H in a horizontal position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, when, upon reaching the neck I2, said plate may be given a quarter turn to engage and fit said neck. Further, as will be seen, in the vertical position of the stop plate on the neck, all end thrust, either against the outer face of the knob IS in one direction, or against said plate from the opposite direction, will be rigidly sustained by the coaction of the communicated Accordingly, it remains l therethrough.

only to rigidly lock the stop plate in operative position.

It has been discovered that any one of several different means may be employed to lock the plates I6, I! and I8 in mating relation to form the composite knob l9.- In the preferred construction; v-ythe three plates are aspot 'wel'ded togethertat the*-seams,-say at the points indicated at 23. Thus, the three plates will be permanent- 1y joined into a solid unit so that the plate 11 may not retrograde either by friction iofwthe hand on the knob l9, when engaged withthe grip H5, or under the impact of.-.b1ows by'thezknfob, or by any pressure exertedz'byzttherswelling' rof the washers l4. A composite" handle is'thus'produced which will be found permanently solid and dependable and which will not be subject to any annoying or disconcerting tlooseness.

- In Figure 8, we have shown a slight variation wherein vthe.three plates. of. the. endknob fthe .,.handle .arewindicatedv at 24,- 25 and '26 respective- .ly. -.,As Wi1l be seen, cap. screws 21 are employed to.,bind.the,\ plates together.

g gnu Eigurel 9, the three plates of the end knob v 'ofrthe tang and secured rigidly to the'stop plate c ot thethandle. areagain shown" iat-28 29 a11d-30 ,respectively. ,lnlthisyariation,rivets 3|are em- .tployed ,to bind the, plates together. Other :ex-

pedients for the purpose may be used provided the three plates are solidly alum-permanently,

30 .thertang andacomposite knob at the outer end a united into a rigid composite unit;

lHavinglthus-descri-bed our invention; we claim: -1.-'-A,knife: including a=bladeihaving a .tang; a grip-toarried-by the tang prov-ided with a -sh0ulder; and a-composite knob 1 at ethe "outer" 'endof I a A the grip-cooperating therewith .to -forma handle v Tier; the" blade and including a stop plate slipped over the tang and rotated to--ar'position-in--en gagement: with said shoulderrfor sustain'ing end thrust on athedxandle; and-means locked-against rotation on the tang as well as locked to the stop plate for securing the stop plate against retrograde movement.

2. A knife including a blade having a tang 5 provided with a shoulder, a grip carried by the tang, a stop plate fitted over the tang and ro- .--tated'thereon to engage "said shoulder for sustaining :ehdthrust on the grip, a locking plate non-rotatable on the tang, and means rigidly "securing said plates together for locking the stop a plate against retrograde movement cooperating "withthe locking plate and with the grip to form a:composite handle.

.3. A-iknife-including a blade having a tang riotched nearitsouter end to provide a neck, a

grip*carri'edby the tang, and a composite knob a at the-outerrtend of the tang cooperating with the grip to form a handle and including a stop plateslotted at one angle to fit over the outer endof thetang andat another angle to fit said neckwhereby the plate-maybe slipped over-the tang and rotated to engage the neck-and-susl tainiend thrust on the handle, and aalocking plate slotted tonon-rotativelwfit the outer end to lockathe-l stop plate against retrograde movement and :form a solid unit therewith.

4. A knife including a bladehaving'a tang notched -.to provide; shoulders; agrip carried by of the-tang cooperating with the grip to form a handle and including a stop plate slipped over the tang and rotatedto engage said shoulders cooperating therewith for sustaining end thrust 5 on the handleg-and alocking plateengaged with 

